Former 1980 US Olympic "Miracle on Ice" hero and NY Rangers forward Rob McClanahan joins Rink Rrap to discuss the new Netflix documentary, his memories from Lake Placid, and his time playing at Madison Square Garden. Don't miss the US Olympic Hockey insight and memories of a Ranger star!

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction & Olympic memories
3:00 - Netflix "Miracle: The Boys of '80" documentary reaction
6:45 - Herb Brooks' coaching style & team preparation
11:20 - Playing college hockey at Minnesota
15:43 - Transition to NY Rangers & NHL career
20:15 - Playing with Don Maloney & Rangers teammates
27:50 - Locker room stories & team characters
30:00 - Olympic brotherhood & life lessons

980 Olympic gold medalist Rob McClanahan joins Jim to discuss the new Netflix documentary "Miracle: The Boys of '80," shares memories from Lake Placid, talks about Herb Brooks' intense coaching style, and reflects on what made that team special 46 years later.

Rob McClanahan opens up about his transition from Olympic hero to NY Rangers forward, playing alongside Don Maloney and Doug Soetaert, locker room pranks with Tommy Laidlaw, and the lasting brotherhood of both his Olympic teammates and NHL career.

Less than 24 hours before their Olympic opener, Team USA Women's Hockey General Manager Katie Million joins us from Milan to discuss the journey to the 2026 Winter Olympics. Katie shares insights on building a championship roster that blends veterans like Hillary Knight with seven current NCAA players, the impact of the PWHL on international competition, and why this tight-knit group has her feeling more confident than ever.

We discuss the evolution of women's hockey beyond the traditional USA-Canada rivalry, the challenges of competing against rising powers like Czechia and Finland, and what makes this Olympic team's chemistry so special. Katie also opens up about the four-year journey since Beijing, the advantage of having rivalry series for roster evaluation, and why she believes they have "a team full of MVPs."

Perfect for hockey fans and anyone interested in Olympic team building and the growing landscape of professional women's hockey.

#TeamUSA #WomensHockey #Olympics #Milan2026 #HockeyPodcast #PWHL #HillaryKnight #KatieMillions

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro & Welcome 

0:18 - Less Than 24 Hours to Opening Game: Managing Emotions 

1:46 - Building Confidence Through the Rivalry Series 

2:52 - Target on Their Back: Facing Canada and Rising Teams 3:25 - Czechia's Young Talent and the Klautin Kova Factor 

3:48 - Women's Hockey Beyond USA vs Canada 

4:22 - How the PWHL Changed International Competition 

5:05 - Roster Decisions: Who Gets Cut and Why 

6:35 - Team Chemistry and What Makes This Group Special 

7:50 - Role of Veterans: Hillary Knight's Legacy 

8:40 - Coaching Staff and Their Olympic Experience 

10:08 - Game Plan Strategy for Milan 

11:15 - Physical vs Finesse: Team USA's Playing Style 

13:05 - Mixing Veterans with College Players 

14:57 - "We Have a Team Full of MVPs"

 15:23 - Comparing Roster Building with Men's Team (Billy Guerin) 

16:24 - Final Thoughts and Hillary Knight's Last Olympics

Former New York Rangers captain Derek Stepan joins Rink Rap for an incredible conversation about his hockey journey. From his legendary NHL debut hat trick to becoming a player development coach with the Minnesota Wild, Derek shares stories Rangers fans have been waiting to hear.

In this episode, Derek discusses:

• How he landed his role with the Wild after retiring
• Life as a player development coach and what he looks for in prospects
• The 2014 Sochi Olympics experience and adopting a Russian stray dog
• His time as Rangers captain during the 2014 season
• Playing alongside Henrik Lundqvist and the leadership lessons learned
• Why he decided to retire and transition away from playing
• The funny side of the Rangers locker room 

Derek also discusses knowing when it was time to hang up the skates, adapting to life after hockey, and his gratitude to Bill Guerin for the opportunity in Minnesota. Whether you're a die-hard Rangers fan or just love hockey stories, this conversation with one of New York's most beloved players is a must-watch.

#DerekStepan #NYRangers #NewYorkRangers #MinnesotaWild #NHL #HockeyPodcast #ForeverBlueshirt

Chapters:

0:00 - Welcome & Introduction
 1:00 - How Derek landed with the Minnesota Wild
 4:00 - Living in Minnesota & working with Bill Guerin
 8:30 - Transition from playing to player development
 12:45 - What Derek looks for in prospects
 18:20 - Evaluating young players vs. his playing days
 23:15 - The business side of hockey post-retirement
 28:40 - Rangers memories & the 2014 season
 35:50 - Days of being Rangers star
 42:10 - Leadership lessons from Henrik Lundqvist
 48:25 - The 2014 Sochi Olympics experience
 54:30 - Meeting Russian fans & adopting a stray dog
 1:02:15 - Favorite Olympic moments beyond hockey
 1:08:45 - The Sochi dog story continues
 1:12:00 - Funniest teammates: Staal, Boyle, Yandle & Zuccarello
 1:16:00 - Wrap up & future episode plans

Derek discusses his transition to the Minnesota Wild's player development staff, how neighbor Bill Guerin gave him his shot, and what he looks for when evaluating prospects in his new role.

Step shares stories from the 2014 Cup run, what it meant to be a New York Ranger, his unforgettable Sochi Olympics experience, and the funniest guys in the Rangers locker room.

In this episode of Rink Rap, host Jim Cerny dives into the New York Rangers' decision to raise the white flag on a disappointing season with "Letter 2.0," signaling a roster retool just eight years after the first rebuild. Jim shares personal stories from both announcements and discusses key players like Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, and Mika Zibanejad. Joined by insider Dave Pagnotta from The Fourth Period, they break down trade rumors, potential deals, and the team's path forward, including strategies for the trade deadline and offseason. Essential listening for Rangers fans navigating this pivotal moment.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro and welcome to Rink Rap podcast
01:03 – Rangers announce roster retool with Letter 2.0
02:04 – Discussion on Panarin's no-move clause and potential trade
04:51 – Need for younger, faster players and scoring depth
07:58 – Jim's story from 2018 rebuild announcement at Prudential Center
08:47 – Jim's story from recent announcement while driving to Princeton
11:23 – Emphasis on trading beyond Panarin and Susie
14:54 – Critique of no-move clauses in contracts
16:57 – Key players to listen on trades like Trocheck, Schneider, Lafreniere
43:11 – Guest Dave Pagnotta joins to discuss trade strategies
43:27 – Offseason possibilities and not rushing everything pre-deadline
44:55 – Summer retool outlook and laying groundwork for future deals
49:53 – Lafreniere's trade value and challenges in matching returns
52:36 – Priority on acquiring NHL-ready talent over just draft picks
55:43 – Final questions: Panarin's likely return and destinations
56:05 – Intel on Panarin trade timing, retention, and potential landing spots

#NYRangers #NHLTrades #RangersRetool #ArtemiPanarin #TradeDeadline #HockeyPodcast #ForeverBlueShirts #NHLRumors #RinkRap

Jim Cerny talks all things Blueshirts as the season approaches the Olympic Freeze. Who's on the trade block, who's untouchable and more deep Rangers discussion.

The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta stops by with the latest trade talk and approach Kyle Dubas may take in remaking the Rangers roster.